Life Goes On
by The Silent Composer
Summary: 7 Years after the Winter War, Orihime lives a relatively normal life studying at the university. That is until she finds and takes in a young boy who looks and act similiar to a particular green eyed Arrancar. Rated m for violence, gore, and language.
1. Prologue

Prologue – Life Goes On

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><p>How long had it been? How long had it been since those emerald pools stared into her soul as if she had been an open book? How long had it been since she'd seen him turn to ash right before her eyes? Since he had reached out for her… She couldn't remember, in fact she couldn't even remember what he looked like.<p>

_Funny, you think I would remember something like that. I wish I did… _

"Miss Inoue?"

Orihime looked up from her textbook realizing she was the only one left in the auditorium classroom. Immediately feeling embarrassed she quickly began grabbing all of her things.

"I'm sorry Dr. Ellison I must've got…"

Dr. Ellison interrupted,

"Caught up in your own little world again?"

Orihime sighed, this was the 3rd time this semester she had done this and in the same class no less. The professor in question was an older woman in her late 40's, graying blond hair and just slightly shorter then Orihime. Her appearance and attitude gave the aura that in her younger days she was probably a heartbreaker, though in her later years it wasn't as prevalent. Overall she was an attractive and intelligent professor that expected greatness from not only her students, but her peers.

_AHH, I'm_ _so stupid! Dr. Ellison should fail me _

"It won't happen again doctor. I'll study super hard for the exam, copy the notes online and I'll…"

The older female smiled interrupting again,

"Inoue you're at the top of the class, I'm not too worried about you failing."

Orihime let out a breath in relief but was still a bit embarrassed. Dr. Ellison lightly grabbed her shoulder as Orihime tried to leave,

"Inoue, I've seen a lot of studious, hard working girls get caught up with some college frat boy and end up ruining their college careers. Out of all the students I have ever taught you probably have the most scientific potential and authentic love for helping others that I have ever, so it would be a shame if something like that happened to you."

Orihime smiled in genuine delight as she continued,

"Obviously you're a little spacey and tend to be a bit ditsy but I see you being something special, a doctor of true brilliance."

Orihime off-handedly thought that Dr. Ellison was very _eloquent_ with her words,

"I have to ask though, is your overly disinterest due to a young man? Because if it is I would strongly advise you to think about your future. College is meant to be both a social catalyst for your adult life but also a jumpstart for your eventual career. I would hate to see you throw all of that away for some boy."

Normally this type of talk would seem oddly personal and inappropriate for a student and professor but Orihime had been in college for 4 years now and knew Dr. Ellison on a more intimate level. She had been the one to recommend to the board and Dean that Orihime receive a special scholarship due to both academic excellence and financial situation. She had also help Orihime find an affordable apartment near the school and throughout her college years if she had ever had a problem, Dr. Ellison had went out of her way to help. It was just the type of relationship they had. Without her, Orihime would be working at some dead end job with no future. She was truly grateful.

"No no, it's nothing like that doctor, it's just… my mind has been wandering lately."

The doctor raised an eyebrow in concern and amusement,

"That tends to happen when you leave it unattended, especially yours."

Orihime gave a small chuckle,

"Well you know me."

"I most certainly do, which is why I'm so worried. If you ever need to talk Orihime, you know I'll lend an ear."

The beautiful red head nodded knowing full well she would never be able to tell the woman that had become like a mom to her the full truth. Dr. Ellison turned away,

"If you'll excuse me dear, I have a lecture I need to be getting to."

As she walked away leaving Orihime to her thoughts she added,

"And I'll be expecting that paper on the Cardio Vascular System bright and early Monday morning."

Orihime simply nodded as she walked toward the exit. If Orihime was ever a mother, she hoped she would be able to be a kind and wise as Dr. Ellison. As the Pre-med student walked out of the class, she still couldn't get one thing out of her head for reasons that were beyond her.

_Ulquiorra…_

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><p>"Ramen Noodles…"<p>

Why was college so expensive? Orihime sighed as she grabbed her last 'chicken' flavored pack and began to cook it in the microwave. She would be the first to admit that deciding to go to the University had been on of the best decisions of her life but sometimes she missed having a nice dinner with her old friends. Dinner that wasn't based on a 49 cent package of dehydrated noodles. Setting the microwave for a few minutes she turned away and turned on the TV as she went through the pantry. She listened for anything interesting on the news as she looked for some red bean paste.

"In other news, the city famous for bizarre phenomena, Karakura Town, is back in the headlines after an unexplained explosion severely injured several people and destroyed an entire section of a 5 story building. Authorities insist it was some type of gas leak that lead to the explosion."

Orihime ignored the newscaster knowing it was just another Hollow. As the microwave began to beep she gave an irritated huff at realizing she was out of red bean paste.

"Well you can't have Ramen without red bean paste…"

Even though it was a bit late, 8:32pm to be exact, it was a Friday so she didn't mind running to the store. Besides, she would have to go tomorrow anyways because she was out of milk, Ramen, and bread. Throwing on a light jacket, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door. As she left the apartment she realized that her stomach wasn't the only thing rumbling as loud crack followed by thunder scared her a bit.

"Great, it's going to rain…"

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><p><em>Please go through, please go through, please go…<em>

'Transaction Approved'

Orihime secretly stopped biting the inside of her cheek in relief as the little screen on the card reader continued to say thank you for your purchase. The clerk at the counter smiled and said,

"Thank you and have a nice night."

"You too"

Orihime turned and walked out of the small convenience store and nearly fainted.

"I had enough!"

She immediately slapped her free hand over her mouth as she realized she was in public. Recomposing herself, she continued on the long walk back. The walk didn't really bother her, it was the light drizzle that annoyed her. She even debated using her Shun Shun Rikka to make an umbrella but decided against it because it was likely someone would be able to see it. Even though Tokyo wasn't as high a concentration of spiritual particles like Karakura Town, it still had people that could see in the spiritual realm. Just as she allowed the thought to go through her head she felt something. Something close.

_A hollow? Why would a Hollow be here? _

In the last 4 years she had spent in Tokyo she had only ever seen 1 Hollow and it had been when Ichigo and her friends had helped her move into her apartment so naturally they all assumed it had sensed all of them. The fact one was here when the only semi-powerful being she was aware of in all of Tokyo was herself made her a bit on edge.

"Well I can't let it run wild."

She knew she was more then strong enough to take on a normal hollow so she started toward where she felt the creature.

"If it makes me break my red bean paste I'm going to be so pissed."

The glass jar clanged hard against her running thighs as she ran to her destination. As she rounded a corner she knew it was in the alleyway across the street. Slowly she sat her bags down and crept across the street, thankful that the Hollow had appeared in a deserted part of Tokyo. She stopped just short of the alleyway feeling the presence of the creature just mere meters away. Something kept telling her in the back of her mind that something was off, that something wasn't right here.

_Either way I can't let this thing hurt anyone, I'm_ _just going to get rid of it quickly _

Hurling herself out to the entrance of the alley and calling on her Shun Shun Rikka out in a shield in front of her she was prepared to attack but what she saw caught her off guard. It was a small boy who was stripped bare laying face down on the hard concrete as rain pelted him. Orihime looked around suspiciously making sure it wasn't a trap but her instinctive nature took over and she ran to the boy. Kneeling beside him, she summoned her fairies to shield the rain as she checked him over. As she flipped him over she checked for a pulse and felt for any internal injuries, both confused and relieved that he seemed fine though he was sickly skinny. It wasn't until she turned him toward the light that recognition immediately dawn upon her like a collision with a freight train. As the boy began to move in her arms she was frozen in her spot and when the boy's eyelids slowly opened revealing emerald pools, she had no doubts.

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><p>Some concept I thought up out of the blue. Not to worries readers of Promise, I have a chapter ready and will release soon. To everyone else, thank you very much for reading and please tell me what you think and review! Thank you - Oh, and if your confused a bit that's good ;), that's what I was shooting for. As long as you get the general concept of what is going on then we're good. Oh and if you have any suggestions or critiquing (positive or negative), or criticism then feel free to tell me because I know there is always room for improvement. As always, Thank you so very much for reading and hope you enjoyed this!<p>

_**PeAcE OuT**_


	2. Angel

**PLZ REVIEW! AND ENJOY ;)**

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><p>Chapter 1- Angel<p>

The boy woke slowly in her arms and as his eyes opened, she had no doubts. Orihime was speechless as he looked up at her with confusion. At first, they just sat there looking at each other, Orihime even found it peaceful staring at what she knew in her heart to be Ulquiorra. That was until she noticed he was shivering against her chest.

"Oh! You're cold, here."

She took off the light jacket she had been wearing and wrapped it around Ulquiorra. He just stared at her silently as she gently put the oversized jacket on him and zipped it up. Finally he looked up at her and said with a very weak, hoarse but unmistakable voice,

"Are you an angel? Have I finally _died_."

Orihime's eyes widen slightly because not only did Ulquiorra not know who she was but the way he emphasized '_died_' made her feel something was off. He made it sound like he was wanting, no, _begging _to die. Orihime gathered her courage and asked,

"What's your name?"

He curled closer to her body for warmth,

"Ulquiorra Schiffer"

She almost thought she would hear him follow that with 'Fourth Espada' but he didn't. He finally asked with a hollow, meek voice,

"Are you taking me away from this place angel? Can I finally leave…"

His voice sounded desperate and yearned for her to say yes, though she wasn't sure to what. Struggling to figure out what was going on, Orihime asked another question,

"Ulquiorra… taking you away from where?"

When he didn't reply Orihime decided no matter what was happening at the moment or how confusing everything is, it was silly to sit out in the rain while Ulquiorra shivered and caught a cold. Gently picking him up and laying his head against her shoulder she began to walk home. As she got onto the sidewalk Ulquiorra tucked his face into the side of her neck and whispered,

"Thank you for taking me away from that place angel."

Orihime frowned, "What place Ulquiorra? Where did you come from?"

As Ulquiorra allowed sleep to capture him he said in a very small voice,

"Hell…"

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><p>Orihime finally made it home soaking wet and laid Ulquiorra down gently on her coach. The jacket was water resistant so only his head was really wet but knowing that he could still catch a cold, she quickly retrieved some of Sora's old clothes and came back to the living room. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Ichigo's number. Immediately she realized her mistake and hung up before it could ring.<p>

_Ichigo might overreact… _

_...  
><em>

_Overreact might be an exaggeration… _

After further thought she decided to call Urahara-san. Ever since she could remember he was by far the most understanding person she had ever met. If anyone wouldn't overreact or report this to the Soul Society, it was Urahara. She dialed his number and walked back over to Ulquiorra to put some clothes on him. Normally the thought of dressing a naked man, Ulquiorra in particular would've made her uncomfortable but this wasn't Ulquiorra, ruthless Espada. This was just a boy who was abandoned, cold and, for some reason, looked to be severely malnourished. She unzipped the jacket she had put on him and began to dress him.

"Hello, Urahara Candy Shop. How may I direct your call!"

Orihime would've giggled if this hadn't been so serious. She had always been one of the few to appreciate Urahara's humor.

"Hi, Urahara-san. It's Orihime Inoue."

"Oh, Miss Inoue! It's been a while since I've heard your lovely voice. How's the university? I recently read an article that your professor published. She's quite smart; I think you're in good hands Orihime-chan."

Orihime smiled and was tempted to continue the conversation but knew that it would have to wait.

"Urahara-san, I have something important to ask you regarding Hell."

Urahara grew quiet and said in a serious voice, "Somehow I didn't think you called to chit chat…"

He paused for a moment,

"I do not know much about Hell as it's hard to research something that is virtually impossible to get to and _realistically _impossible to break out of, but I will try to answer your question as best as I can."

Orihime started to chew on her bottom lip nervously as she asked her question and put a pair of pajama pants on Ulquiorra,

"What if something was able to get out of Hell? What would the Soul Society do?"

Urahara said in a very serious voice,

"They would destroy it, if they could. And if they couldn't… They would find a way to send it back."

The very thought of Ulquiorra, boy or not, going back to hell made her sick to her stomach.

"Orihime-chan, whatever has happened I need you to tell me. If it's something about Hell then I need to know."

Orihime started to tear up,

"Urahara-san, please… I can't lose him again."

Urahara sighed,

"Somehow I knew it had to do with him. The way he 'died' always bothered me... This needs to be handled very carefully. I'll be there in 5 minutes."

Orihime's eyes widened and she checked her phone and sure enough, he had disconnected.

_Should I try to hide Ulquiorra? Tell Urahara it was another nightmare? Fight him off? _

Regardless of what she was going to do, she had to do it fast. Although she wasn't a 100% sure Urahara was going to do something bad, she wanted, no, needed to be sure. She left Ulquiorra on the coach covered up with a blanket and pj pants on. If they were going to leave town for awhile they needed a few things. She ran in the kitchen and grabbed some canned foods and threw them in her backpack.

_Anything else we need we'll just have to find on our own. I can't use my check card, they'll trace it and… _

Before she could finish the thought her doorbell rang. She involuntarily squeaked. Turning around, she inched her way to the door.

"There's no way he is already here… right?"

With her Shun Shun Rikka at the ready she opened the door to find Urahara with his fan hiding his mouth and his green striped hat hiding his eyes.

_I have to stand strong, for Ulquiorra. _

Just as she was ready to defend against what she knew would be an impossible battle, Urahara laughed and hugged Orihime,

"Orihime-chan! It's been so long! You need to visit more often, Yoruichi is always saying she needs a woman to hang out with, not a mad scientist though I'm not sure who the mad man is…"

Orihime blinked a bit bewildered by the Shinigami's relaxed attitude. She politely returned the hug but quickly said,

"Urahara-san, I won't let you harm Ulquiorra-kun."

Urahara looked at her and smiled slightly,

"I thought as much, which is why I came so quickly. I didn't want to have to fight or hurt you, I don't think Yoruichi would forgive me…"

Orihime was now backing away her Shun Shun Rikka swirling around her. Urahara walked calmly into the apartment,

"Calm down Orihime-chan, I have good news. He's not from Hell."

Orihime looked, if it was possible, more confused,

"But how do you know that? You just got here and haven't even seen him. Besides he told me he was from Hell."

"I have sensed what something from Hell feels like and I don't feel anything unusual here. Now I could be wrong but I would have to take a closer look to be sure."

Urahara put his fan in front of his face, "May I examine him if I promise not to hurt him?"

Orihime was at a crossroads, on one hand if she let him and he wasn't from hell it would probably help things because Urahara simply had the influence and intelligence to either convince or persuade the Soul Society to leave Ulquiorra alone. On the other hand, if he saw something that made him think Ulquiorra was dangerous… With deep breath she lowered her Shun Shun Rikka and allowed Urahara to come closer to the couch. Urahara laughed at seeing Ulquiorra,

"Well, whatever happened it certainly changed his physical appearance, eh Orihime-chan?"

She just quietly nodded still a bit on edge. Ulquiorra laid sleeping, his breathing a bit shallow and barely audible. If you didn't notice his small chest rising and falling, it would look as if he was dead. Urahara removed the blanket and began to look over the small boy. At first, it appeared to Urahara that he was just a normal, though extremely malnourished, boy. It wasn't until he was examining Ulquiorra's arms that his eyes widened and became deadly serious. With a very solemn and sad voice he turned to Orihime.

"Orihime-chan, it would seem Ulquiorra did come from Hell."

Orihime involuntarily took in a breath, not sure what to do but Urahara nodded his head toward Ulquiorra's arm,

"Just not the one you thought."

Confused she looked and saw what he was motioning at,

"Oh my God…"

She allowed a tear to run down her cheek as she stared at the numbers tattooed on his forearm.

**3772324**

****Short chapter i know... I just felt like writing a bit tonight. Probably not my best work. Hope you enjoy. **REview plz**


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